


Kid, Be My Son

by Stay_Frosty



Series: Meeting the (tight-knit) Family [2]
Category: Falsettos - Lapine/Finn, Legally Blonde - Hach/O'Keefe/Benjamin
Genre: F/M, Good Parent Marvin (Falsettos), Heart-to-Heart, M/M, Marvin Not Being an Asshole (Falsettos), Sassy Whizzer Brown, Shopping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:53:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26161432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stay_Frosty/pseuds/Stay_Frosty
Summary: Marvin and Emmett have a heart to heart. Meanwhile, Whizzer and Elle go shopping.
Relationships: Emmett Forrest/Elle Woods, Whizzer Brown/Marvin
Series: Meeting the (tight-knit) Family [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1899739
Comments: 32
Kudos: 86





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Meeting the Family received such incredibly lovely responses that I couldn't quite give up on these characters just yet! it's short but sweet and I hope you enjoy! there will be 3 chapters to this!

“You should call him, honey,” Elle’s soft voice encouraged. Emmett sighed; he’d been holding his damn phone for at least ten minutes, staring blankly at the word ‘dad’ in his contact list. She was right - he should call. After all, he promised he would over 24 hours ago, but couldn’t bring himself to do it. 

“What if we have nothing to talk about?” he argued. 

He heard Elle chuckle lightly before she lay a gentle hand above his knee. “I think you have  _ plenty  _ to talk about, don’t you?” 

He supposed she had a point. Besides, he had been waiting years for Marvin to start making an effort - how could he pass up the opportunity to make amends? 

“He’s trying, Em,” she prompted. 

How was it that she always knew what to say? Even when she was stating the obvious Emmett couldn’t help but marvel at how well she knew him. He hadn’t ever met anyone like her in his life. 

“I know,” he replied simply. He would only regret not calling when he had the chance to. As Elle said, they had a lot to talk about, was it not better to get the worst part over with quickly? Tear it off like a bandaid and move on before they headed home? “You’re right.” 

Once he had dialled the number, Elle told him she was heading for a shower. He knew deep down she was simply making an excuse to leave in order to respect his privacy, but he was thankful nonetheless. He was becoming more and more anxious by the second, but it was too late to back out now. It rang through for an uncomfortable amount of time, and Emmett very nearly hung up before it went through to voicemail, when it finally went through. 

“Emmett,” he heard his dad’s relieved if only slightly flustered voice greet. “You actually called.” 

He frowned at the hint of disbelief in his father’s tone. “Did you think I wouldn’t?” 

There was a small sigh from the other end of the phone. “I wouldn’t blame you.” 

Emmett wasn’t sure what exactly to respond with. The sense of regret in his dad’s voice was obvious, and he wouldn’t dream of kicking the man while he was down, but could Emmett bring himself to justify his past actions? 

“Can I come over?” he asked instead. Whatever they had to talk about would be much easier in person - it just didn’t feel right over the phone. 

“Of course, do you want me to come pick you up?”

“I’ll call a cab, but thanks.”

They didn’t bother attempting to continue forced small talk and instead, Emmett promised to text when they were on their way. 

It wasn’t long before Elle returned to the bedroom in a robe, her hair wrapped in a towel. It amazed Emmett that she could look as utterly incredible straight out of the shower as she did after hours of maintenance. Despite the nerves about the day ahead of him, he grinned. 

“You look beautiful.” The words fell from his lips before he could even process what he was saying. 

Elle’s cheeks burned a shade of crimson as she smiled sheepishly, waving a dismissive hand. “Oh shush,” she scolded playfully. Taking a seat beside him on the bed, she laced their fingers together. “Did you call your dad?” 

He nodded. “I said we’d go see him this afternoon. Is that okay?” 

He felt her squeeze his hand, the grip grounding his senses. “Of course, baby,” she responded with sincerity. “But are you sure you want me tagging along?” 

Emmett chuckled. “Whizzer will be there anyway, I’ll feel less ganged up on if you come with me.” 

Elle smiled sweetly, pressing a chaste kiss onto his lips. “Fair enough.” 

  
  


Emmett had called the cab over ten minutes ago and currently found himself pacing the floor of his mother’s living room whilst they waited for it. Weirdly he was more anxious now than he had been when he had first arrived in New York - now that he only had his father to face. Perhaps then he had been so concerned with keeping Elle’s nerves calm that he had forgotten to tap into his own. 

“Emmett, sweetheart you’ll be fine,” his mother soothed, gripping his upper arms tenderly, giving him no choice but to halt his frantic pacing. “You always have been so worrisome.” 

He sent her a sheepish smile, eventually allowing himself to melt into her motherly touch. “What am I even supposed to say to him?” 

She sighed, cupping his jaw. “Nothing,” she assured. “Or everything, if you want to. It’s in your hands.” 

Before he could respond, telling his mother that that fact did nothing to make him feel any better, Elle’s gentle voice cut through. “Emmett, honey. Cab’s here.” 

He nodded, taking a breath. “Bye mom,” he said, kissing her cheek before taking Elle’s hand. Well, it was too late to back out now. He’d just have to take it like a man. 

The journey was short, too short if you asked Emmett. Not enough time to plan in intricate detail what exactly he was going to say. Elle’s long, pointed nails scratching against his skin would often interrupt his train of thought - then again that may not be a bad thing. He thanked and paid the cab driver before checking again his dad’s address, entering the correct building. 

When they reached Marvin’s floor, Emmett, in his disorientated haze, heard a squeal and was quickly brought into a hug. “Emmett!” the voice he recognised to be Cordelia’s cried, and despite his nerves a smile formed on his lips. “I have a batch of muffins in the oven! You and Elle  _ have  _ to come over and try them!” 

Emmett chuckled lightly. “Thanks, Aunt Delia - but it might have to be later,” he said, trying not to feel too guilty over her crestfallen expression. “I’m gonna talk to my dad.” 

Her expression quickly went from being hurt to understanding. “Ahh,” she responded, a small smile on her lips. “Good luck, honey. You should  _ all  _ come over for muffins when you’re ready.” 

He nodded. “I promise.” 

Cordelia grinned. “I’ll hold you to that young man!” she teased. “It was great seeing you again Elle!” and with that, she disappeared back into her apartment, cheerfully humming a tune that Emmett didn’t recognise. 

With a deep breath, he looked to Elle. “you ready?” she asked, taking his hand. 

“Guess I’ll have to be.” 

He knocked, and the door to the apartment opened all too quickly. Emmett could almost picture his father pacing back and forth in their front room in a similar fashion to his own actions only ten minutes prior. 

“Hey,” Marvin said, flustered, before making space for Elle and Emmett to enter. “Take a seat, can I get either of you a drink?” 

Elle smiled politely and shook her head, Emmett muttering a small “no thanks.” 

Marvin nodded, taking a seat on the opposite sofa. Emmett could feel his girlfriend bouncing her knee beside him, and could tell she was about to say something to fill the silence before Whizzer appeared from the kitchen. 

“Oh hey,” he said, walking through the sitting straight to the coat stand and shrugging on a leather jacket. The man approached the sofa, standing behind Marvin before pressing a gentle kiss into Marvin’s hair. Emmett noticed the way his father blushed ever so slightly, the corners of his lips curving into a small smile - it was jarring to see him so utterly at peace. 

Whizzer looked up before pointing a finger at Elle. “come on you,” he said fondly. “Let’s give these boys some chance to catch up.” 

Elle looked to Emmett, not seeking permission per se but checking ‘will you be okay?’. Emmett nodded, deciding that maybe being given the chance to talk alone wouldn’t necessarily be a terrible thing. 

He noticed her smile and turn her attention back to Whizzer. “Where are we going?” 

The brunette smirked mischievously, flashing a credit card - most likely Marvin’s, before biting his lip. Elle’s eyes sparkled with curiosity - Whizzer had a very simple answer for her. 

“Shopping.” 


	2. Shopping Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> when a shopping trip results in a conversation about falling in love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> umm this took a while to get out and I'm sorry about that ,, it's also much shorter than I had anticipated but honestly if i hadn't posted now it could have been a good few weeks before i had the time to touch this story again. i hope you enjoy regardless :)

Whizzer, it turns out, was fantastic company. While they appeared an unlikely pair, the older man being her boyfriend’s  _ step-father _ for crying out loud, Elle had not had such fun shopping in a long time. Her girls stayed in Malibu, and while Paulette was a lot of fun to spend time with, she was busy with her new, incredibly successful salon, and Elle didn’t want to pull her away from Kyle and the kids for too long. 

This left her boyfriend. 

Emmett, God bless his soul, was not the greatest shopping partner - not through a lack of trying, of course. He would do anything to make Elle happy, but once he had gotten over the initial amazement of trying on endless amounts of  _ expensive, men’s  _ clothing, shopping became a torture that Elle felt terrible about making him endure on a regular basis. 

“What do you think about this?” Elle beamed, holding up a dress shirt. It was a light pink, smart yet not overbearingly standoffish, and she could just  _ see _ her boyfriend in it already. 

“For Emmett?” Whizzer inquired, perusing another rack of clothing. When his eyes landed on the item of clothing, his lips curved into a small smile. “It’s great - if you can convince him to wear it.”

Elle’s smile fell only slightly; Emmett always indulged in her little fashion ideas and her shopping hauls. “Do we think he won’t like it?” she asked, crestfallen. 

The older man’s look of concentration melted into a sympathetic smile. “Of course he will, hon. I was kidding,” he assured. Elle’s smile returned. “But if he’s anything like his father his clothing won’t come from anywhere classier than Walmart.” 

Elle couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped her lips. “Which is where I come in,” she retorted playfully. “You should have seen his face the first time we went shopping. The poor boy was bewildered.” 

“You convinced him to go shopping?” Whizzer asked, surprised. His mouth twisted into a teasing grin. “Oh, that boy must have  _ really  _ had it bad for you.” 

A crimson blush crawled up Elle’s neck, climbing all the way up to the tips of her ears as she remembered that time with Emmett. It was so obvious, and yet she was clueless. He gave up his nights and his weekends to help her, indulged in all of her little habits and never once judged her. 

“It was right before the Wyndham trial, I was just doing him a favour,” she argued sheepishly. 

Still to this day, she would hopelessly deny that she and Emmett had spent so much time in love, dancing around their feelings for one another. Deep down she knew Emmett had always held a torch for her, and the thought made her stomach twist with butterflies despite the length of time that had passed since they first met. 

Elle took one look at Whizzer’s knowing smirk and broke out into a grin. “I had it bad for him too,” she finally agreed, looking down at her fingers. “It just...took us a while to do something about it.” 

There were several occasions they could have confessed to one another before Elle eventually bit the figurative bullet and  _ proposed  _ to him, and yet the continued to insist they were only friends up until that moment. Good friends - who would stay at each other’s places on the regular, and would spend every minute of the day they could together. Just friends - who would begin the night in their respective seats in Elle’s room, and eventually end up curled up together as they worked. 

Looking back, Elle couldn’t recall ever having a friend who looked at her the way Emmett did. 

“Awwww,” Whizzer cooed playfully, interrupting her daydream. “Young love.” 

Elle hummed in agreement, deciding finally that she would buy the shirt. “When did you realise you loved Marvin?” she asked, mindlessly looking through more clothing racks as she spoke. 

It took Whizzer a few seconds to respond. When Elle turned around to check on him, he was sporting a similar crimson glow to what she had been a few moments prior - he truly resembled a deer in headlights. The blonde resisted the urge to tease him; she was genuinely curious in his answer and didn’t want to fluster the older man more than the question already had done. 

“You’ll think I’m a bad person,” he deflected, avoiding her gaze. His tone was serious, and Elle realised with a start that he wasn’t simply avoiding the question - he carried guilt over the answer. 

Hesitantly, she turned her attention away from the clothes and lay a gentle hand on Whizzer’s arm. She waited for a moment, allowing the older man time to pull away if he wished. When he didn’t, and if anything seemed settled by her touch, she grazed her thumb carefully over the top of Whizzer’s shirt. 

“I Delta Nu sister swear I won’t judge you,” she replied earnestly, offering a small smile when he furrowed his brows in confusion. “That’s a big deal.” 

Whizzer sighed, biting his lip in thought before he nodded. “It was before Trina knew about us,” he began, uncertain. “I’d somehow been roped into having dinner with them, and realised he was actually a great dad when he tried to be. Maybe he was just trying to make a good impression.” 

Elle nodded, encouraging him to continue. 

He sighed again. “Part of me felt guilty - who was I to prance into their house, eat dinner with them like I wasn’t wrecking their family the longer I stuck around?“

It was clear he was avoiding Elle’s gaze as he explained. He appeared genuinely distressed as he recalled the memory - so openly remorseful even all these years later. Elle couldn’t help but feel a sense of sympathy for Whizzer. 

“But a more selfish part of me wanted that,” he admitted, licking his suddenly dry lips “I realised I wanted a family with him, and then I knew I was screwed.” 

Elle couldn’t help the smile that formed on her lips as he finished the anecdote. Though Whizzer was clearly nervous about telling the story, and perhaps ashamed of his past behaviour, it was sweet to hear him speak so fondly of Marvin. 

“That’s adorable!” Elle beamed, a bright grin on her face. “When did you tell him?” 

Whizzer frowned. “I didn’t,” he admitted. “I guess I didn’t want to be even more of a homewrecker than I already was.”

“It all worked out for the better though, didn’t it?” 

The corner’s of Whizzer’s lips curved into a smile. “Yeah,” he agreed fondly. “I guess it did.” 

**Author's Note:**

> honestly, I'm not sure if Marvin and Emmett's heart to heart or Whizzer and Elle's shopping trip is going to come first - let me know what you guys would rather see? hope you enjoy :)


End file.
